Where I can tell stories, relate experiences and pass along tips discovered while doing research on my family; through volunteer activities, including as an Online Parish Clerk; and from projects completed as a genealogical consultant.

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

Recognizing Notables in the Parish Records

I
have occasionally observed the use of titles and honorifics in the registers of
Cornwood parish, Devon. Invariably they were attached to notable people in the
community who, for the most part, were major landowners. I use this example as
it is the area of origin of my Shepheard ancestors and for which I have
transcribed all of the parish baptism, marriage and burial records. I am sure
that the same holds true for other parishes in Britain.

The
heads of the Rogers family were consistently referred to with the titles of “Sir” and “Bart.” – for Baronet – in
the Cornwood registers; for the women, “Lady” or “Dame” were used. John Rogers,
the first of the line, made his fortune as a merchant and bought an estate and
the lordship of the manor, called Blatchford, from John Hele, in 1690. He was
created a Baronet in 1699. Eight Baronets from the Rogers family, including one
who was created Baron, Lord Blachford, in 1871, are buried at Cornwood, and, as
one might expect, all with their full titles recorded in the burial register.

One
term that most people are familiar with in family history records is Esquire. It originally was generally
used interchangeably with “squire” although that word originated as the
individual who served a knight.

Historically,
in Britain, Esquire was the title used for man with a “rank next below that of
Knight. Besides those Esquires who are personal attendants of Knights of Orders
of Knighthood, this title is held by all attendants on the person of the Sovereign,
and all persons holding the Sovereign's commission being of military rank not below
Captain ; also, by general concession, by Barristers at Law, Masters of Arts,
and Bachelors of Law and Physic” (Boutell, 1899). In the 1600s, Esquire was defined generally
as the title for the eldest sons of knights or peers and their eldest sons in
perpetuity, for those in positions created by the monarch or by virtue of their
office, such as Justices of the Peace. In more modern times it may be attached
to the name of any man in formal use or in the address of a letter where there
is no prefixed title.

In
the Cornwood parish registers only a few men were recorded with the term,
Esquire, all of them members of the most affluent and influential families in
the parish and owners of the major manors or estates – including the Hays, Hele,
Maynard, Pode, Praed, Savery and Trefusis families. The burial register is most
often the place one finds the title recorded. The title was almost expressly
used for the eldest sons of the families, which was the norm in Britain.

Another
term used for many individuals in the same families where a man was accorded
the title of Esquire is Gentleman;
Gentlewoman was common for the wives or daughters of these families. In the
registers, the term is not used for any of those men known as Esquire, suggesting
the designation was more restricted to younger siblings of those families – still
“gentle” by birth but likely not in line for inheriting titles or necessarily
land.

Many
of those recorded with the term, Gentleman, were from wealthy land-owning families
but not part of the most “titled” families – knights or peers.

Many
of those recorded in Cornwood records, with the term, Gentleman, were from
wealthy land-owning families but not part of the most “titled” families – knights
or peers – including the Badcock, Bunswell, Burrell, Coryton, Fortesque, Hele, Mason,
Maynard, Northmore, Prideaux, Rogers, Savery, Williams and Worthington
families.

More
commonly, other important members of the community were identified by an honorific – Mr., Mrs. or Miss. Again,
none of the individuals who were shown as Esquire or Gentleman (Gentlewoman) were
referred to in this manner in the registers although the widows of some
gentlemen or esquires might also be shown as Mrs. Most of the references are
found on the burial register. The land tax lists also have numerous individuals
shown as Mr. or Mrs. In all cases, these were individuals who also owned land
in the parish.

My
5th and 6th great-grandfathers were referred to in most
register entries as Mr. Both were land-owners and active in the community.

Nicholas
Shepheard (ca 1675-1756) – 6th great-grandfather – was listed in the
Devon Freeholders lists as “yeoman”, “gentleman” and “freeholder” between 1711
and 1733. He was an original Feoffee and Trustee for Wakeham's Rooke Charity
set up in 1700 and continued to administer the fund until his death in 1756. On
the baptism entries of seven of his nine children, Nicholas was shown as Mr.
His burial was recorded as Mr. Nicholas Shepard and his wife’s as Mrs. Amy
Shepard. The spelling of their names in the registers was done at the discretion
of the Vicar but not in keeping with other documents Nicholas has signed as
Shepheard.

1718 baptism entry
of John Shepherd, son of Mr. Nicholas & Amy Shepherd

Nicholas
Shepheard (1716-1786) – 5th great-grandfather – was listed in the
Devon Freeholder’s lists as “gentleman” and “freeholder” from 1762 to 1783. The
designation indicates he had a fairly high position in the parish. He was shown
as a co-Assessor & Collector on the Land Tax Assessment roles as well as a
land owner of two major properties in the parish. He also served as the
Churchwarden for St. Michael & All Angels Church in Cornwood. In that
position he was primarily responsible for having the bells manufactured and
installed in the church belfry in 1770. His name is cast into five of the bells
(see my post
of July 1, 2014). Nicholas was a Trustee of the Wakeham's Rooke Charity with
brother, Richard, succeeding their father, Nicholas, in the position.

Recording
the status of individuals by way of title is very much an old practice. In
Cornwood parish the last time the term Esquire was used was in 1898 in the
baptism register when Phyllis Cordelia Pode, daughter of Cyril Augustus &
Constance Pode, of Slade manor, was baptized. In the burial register, it was
for George Crawley, Esquire, a Captain in the Royal Navy, who was buried in
1810.

The
last use of Gentleman was in 1896 in the baptism register when Gerard Parker,
son of Mackworth Parker, of Moor Cross, was baptized. In the burial register,
it was for Henry Rogers who died in 1716.

An
honorific was last used in the baptism register in 1808 when Anne Roberts was
baptized, her father being a servant to Mr. Pode. The last reference in the
burial register was for Mrs. Anne Hayes in 1803.

Knowing
the people within a parish or region and observing the titles or honorifics
with which they are recorded allows one to get a sense of the hierarchy in the
community at the time. Obviously, titles conferred by the Crown are at the
highest level – knights, baronets, barons. Those known as Esquire appear to
occupy a second level. And Gentlemen/Gentlewomen are the third. Both of these
we might refer to as “gentry” or “landed aristocracy”. In past centuries, those
called Mr. or Mrs., especially on official documents, were important people in
the community and very likely all land-owners. In Cornwood parish we can
certainly make the above connections to social position and influence.

All
baptism and burial images reproduced here are used with the kind
permission of the rights holder, Plymouth and West Devon Record
Office.Wayne Shepheard is a volunteer with the Online Parish Clerk program in
England, handling four parishes in Devon, England. He has
published a number of articles about various aspects of genealogy and is a past
Editor of Chinook, the quarterly
journal of the Alberta Family Histories Society. Wayne also provides
genealogical consulting services through his business, Family History Facilitated.

References:

Boutell,
Charles. (1867). English Heraldry.
London & New York: Cassell, Petter. and Galpin.

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Miller-Watson Family Ca 1886

The photo in the background of this website is of the Miller-Watson Family, taken in Manhattan, Kansas, USA, around 1886. My great-grandfather, Isaac Mayfield Miller, is in the back row, second from the right. My 2nd great-grandmother, Hannah Tunstal (Mayfield) Miller-Watson, is seated front-centre. The other individuals are all of Hannah's other children from both of her marriages.

About Me

Wayne has pursued family history research for a number of decades, on
his own behalf and for others. He volunteers as an Online Parish Clerk,
handling four parishes in Devon, England. Wayne has also been active with a number of family history societies and is the past editor of two family history society journals. He is also an author of several articles
published in a number of different genealogical journals and has made
presentations at genealogical conferences. Following a long and successful
career as a geologist in the oil & gas industry, Wayne now pursues
genealogy as a hobby and a second line of work through his business, Family
History Facilitated.

Wayne is a native Calgarian and a descendant of many immigrants to
southern Alberta who originated in England, Scotland, Germany, the United
States and possibly other areas not yet determined. He actively explores many
family branches spread across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and
Europe.